Hon. Robert Black, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, presented the following report:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry has the honour to present its

ELEVENTH REPORT

Your committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, to examine and report on the status of soil health in Canada, respectfully requests supplementary funds for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

The original budget application submitted to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the report thereon of that committee were printed in the Journals of the Senate on February 16, 2023. On February 16, 2023, the Senate approved the release of $36,220 to the committee and on May 16, 2023, the Senate approved an additional release of $128,620 to the committee.

Pursuant to Chapter 3:05, section 2(1)(c) of the Senate Administrative Rules, the budget submitted to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the report thereon of that committee are appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

ROBERT BLACK

Chair

(For text of budget, see today’s Journals of the Senate, Appendix A, p. 1758.)

Hon. Robert Black: My question is for the Honourable Senator Gold, the Government Representative in the Senate.

[English]

Senator Gold, earlier in the chamber I mentioned the great entrepreneurship and charity of organizations like Dairy Distillery. Not only are they supporting and growing Canada’s economy, they are giving back in times of need and pitching in to support the greening of Canada. Despite their hard work, the company continues to be inhibited by red tape and the lack of governmental support in expanding their work.

As a result, Dairy Distillery has begun construction on an ethanol production facility using dairy permeate to produce some of the greenest ethanol in North America. For every tonne of permeate they process into ethanol, they displace 1.2 tonnes of carbon. They’ve identified 50,000 tonnes of available permeate in Eastern Canada that, if converted to ethanol, would offset 60,000 tonnes of carbon a year.

[Translation]

The thing is, they’ll be building their plant in the state of Michigan.

[English]

This Canadian company has had little government support or any level of regulatory assistance, and could only financially succeed in the United States with support from programs like the Inflation Reduction Act.

[Translation]

If Canada can’t be competitive for its small businesses, we will lose Canadian businesses to the United States.

[English]

My question, Senator Gold, is: How will the Canadian government continue to support Canadian businesses that are competing with companies in the U.S. being supported by the American Inflation Reduction Act, and what will your government do to reduce regulatory red tape that forces Canadian companies out of the country, taking innovative progress and countless jobs with them? Thank you, meegwetch.

[Translation]